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Grammar 2A: Reporting Verbs
Workshop objectives
This workshop will assist you in becoming familiar with: • The function and correct use of reporting verbs • Demonstrating attitude toward/of an author • Modifying reporting verbs • Grammatically correct forms of reporting verb structures
Reporting verbs are used with:
• quotes • paraphrases • summaries
Choosing the ‘right’ reporting verb depends on: • what the author is doing
• the extent to which you agree with the author
• the author’s attitude to the information
• the way the reporting verb fits together with other words in a sentence (ie grammar)
What the author is doing argue, suggest, propose, point out, explain, conclude, claim, state think, believe, assume, feel, hold, hope
ARGUE: verbs concerned with writing or saying
THINK: verbs concerned with thinking, knowing, understanding
What the author is doing
show, demonstrate, reveal, indicate, confirm, imply
find, discover, observe, establish, identify
SHOW: verbs concerned with indicating a fact or situation
FIND: verbs concerned with the research process
Author’s attitude
attack, challenge, disagree, dismiss, dispute, doubt, mistrust, oppose, question, reject, suspect, warn
It is possible to indicate whether the author is positive or negative in their attitude to the content of the information.
accept, advise, affirm, agree, applaud, assert, concur, insist, maintain, note, praise, point out, posit, recommend, remark, stress, subscribe to, suggest, support, think, urge
POSITIVE
NEGATIVE or uncertain
Author’s attitude The author is very assertive/certain
The author is tentative
The author believes the information is very important
The author believes the information is of lesser importance
The author is offering advice to the reader
argue, challenge, claim, insist, refute, reject propose, speculate, suggest contend, emphasise, stress mention, note, say recommend, urge, caution, warn
Agreement with author
• agreement with author e.g. show, throw light on • disagreement with author e.g. confuse, disregard • a neutral attitude towards the author e.g. describe, explain, define
You can indicate, through a choice of reporting verbs, your own viewpoint:
You must choose your reporting verbs carefully. The meaning of a reporting verb can change according to the
context and the language surrounding it.
Modifying reporting verbs
In order to develop your own argument and emphasise your own voice, you can modify reporting verbs.
You can show strong agreement with the author’s line of
argument.
Peres da Costa (2015) clearly demonstrates that…. Balik and Bayrak (2011) correctly conclude that… Young and Chen (2014) perceptively identify…. Zvangoli (1999) persuasively argues that.. Craig and Blaster (2014) attempt to argue that… Crawford (2015) incorrectly concludes that… Although Webster (2011) might claim that…
You can show your uncertainty about or disagreement with the
author’s line of argument.
Grammar ARGUE, THINK and SHOW verbs are mostly in
the present tense.
FIND verbs (concerned with the research process) are mostly in the past tense.
ARGUE, FIND and SHOW verbs are occasionally in the present perfect tense.
Grammar
Grammar
Grammar
References Centre for Learning and Professional Development 2010, Reporting verbs, University of Adelaide. Craven, E. n.d., Which reporting verb should I use?, ELSSA Centre, University of Technology, Sydney. Office of Student Success 2010, Reporting verbs, Australian Catholic University.
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